Nightmare, Freedom and Family
by Miss Ginevra Magdalene Darcy
Summary: (requested story) Isabella is Carlisle and Esme's biological, hybrid of a daughter. Everything is quiet simply rosy until the Volturi decide to kidnap her for Aro to study. '"Carlisle," her voice was quiet, soft. He knew something terrible had happened before he even looked at her face.' Mentions of future Belec.
1. Prolouge

**So QuillAnnie suggested this idea to me and asked me to write it back in July 2014. So all credit for the idea is completely and utterly hers. Apologies to her that it** **'** **s taken me so long to write it.**

 **Prologue**

"Carlisle," her voice was quiet, soft, and her heartbeat was fast, terrified. He looked round slowly at the human he'd fallen deeply in love with despite his best intentions, "I'm pregnant."

"Carlisle," her voice was the same as it had been all those years ago except there was now a bell like quality and there was now no heartbeat accompanying it. He knew something terrible had happened before he even looked at her face, "Bella's missing."

Those two times were the only times Carlisle was sure that his heart wasn't as still as it was meant to be and that he actually needed to breathe as his breath stopped in his lungs.

The first time: he wasn't scared of being a parent, he and Esme already had one son (adopted) called Edward - a musical boy who loved cars and literature. No, it terrified him because Vampires, what he was, weren't meant to have children. That was something he knew he gave up all those years ago when he had been turned, something Esme knew he'd never be able to give her and, despite her desire to have her own child, she had loved him enough to stay with him anyway something he was grateful for every single day. She loved him despite that and the fact that he was a vampire, she hadn't run for the hills, she hadn't cringed away from him, she had simply looked at him with a look almost akin to pity and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

That second one? The daughter, the child that he thought he would never have, that he thought wasn't even possible, was gone, taken by some unknown person to some unknown place with a trail didn't exist. She was physically only five years old. They didn't know if they'd ever see her again - that one sentence changed everything.

Both those sentence changed everything really: about their lives, their family, even what scared them.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Esme was a girl Carlisle had treated when she was sixteen and had broken her leg whilst falling out of a tree, he had been a vampire for just over 270 years then, and had fallen for her instantly but had forced himself to leave, telling himself he couldn't cause any pain to this human girl with her whole life ahead of her plus there was the fact that she was seven years younger than the age he was frozen at. He had lasted only six years (which to vampires was probably even less than six months in the whole grand scheme of things) before he couldn't help but come back only to find her in an abusive marriage. She'd remembered him, something he was both elated and saddened him, and they feel quickly in love - her figuring out his secret of being vampire within only a few months of being together. They married and eventually another vampire came along, Edward, who was only fifteen. He was quickly adopted as their son. Thus is the background to our story.

But let's start with that first moment. The moment when still human Esme Anne Cullen nee Platt told her husband that she was pregnant with a child they never thought they would have. This shall be the where we start our story though in all truth it could be started at any time previously.

It was a dreary morning in Columbus and the rain was pouring down over the brick walls of their house. The shutters were open but the windows themselves remained firmly closed as did the blue front door. Carlisle had just returned from work at the nearby hospital, which he drove the half an hour drive to every time he had a shift, but now sat in his study filling out the paperwork from the day. He was that type of man - running on the idea that if he got it over with, he wouldn't have to think about it again and could just spend the evening with his wife and son. Edward was in the music room playing the piano, something he had learned to do when he was human and had continued to improve at since he became a vampire. Paperwork generally didn't take very long for him to do since he moved a vampire speed through it, his enhanced brain making childs-play out of the dull, tedious work. He had become a doctor to help people not sit around filling in forms.

He was taking a break and staring out the window into the heavy rain that was falling outside when he heard Esme's footsteps moving up the stairs. She hadn't seemed troubled when he walked in - taking his coat from him and kissing his cheek with a beaming smile on her soft face - but now he listened to her coming closer towards the office, her breathing seemed different and her heart beat fluttered wildly in her chest. He put his pen down, listening as she paused outside his door and took two deep, deliberate breathes. The door opened painfully slowly even for a human and finally she spoke, her voice a soft, gentle, _scared_ hum.

"Carlisle," her heartbeat beat even faster and her voice trembled even over the one word that was his name. He turned slowly, trying to be as human as possible for her and met her chocolate brown eyes that were the deepest, most trusting pair he had ever seen. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" he was up in a flash, faster than a human could ever move, causing Esme to jump startled. "Sorry. Sorry, my dear."

He moved towards her at a fast human pace and wrapped her in his arms. Hers came up under his to grasp his shoulders and she whispered softly in his ear, "how is this possible?"

"I have no idea," he muttered, stroking her caramel hair softly, "but's fine, we'll figure it out. I promise."

He heard her heart beat begin to calm down but he could she was still afraid. He couldn't blame her though - they had no idea what this could mean, how it would affect her, what the child would be like, how to care for a half vampire, half human child. He suppose it was daunting to her brain which couldn't deal with as many thoughts as a vampire brain could and it was slightly overwhelming for him despite that. The music was still drifting from the music room but instead of the song Edward had been writing it had transformed into Esme's favourite piece, he wasn't sure if they were close enough for her to hear it but he appreciated Edward's efforts.

"Are you okay, Carlisle?" Edward spoke at normal volume too low for Esme to hear, "And she can hear it."

Another thing about Edward, he was gifted though he often saw his gift as a curse. He could read the mind of anyone within a few miles of him (the further away, the more he needed to be attuned to that person) which made privacy around him a bit difficult. No thought was private, no memory if it flittered through your mind. Edward did his best to give him and Esme as much privacy as he could and in return they tried to be in control of their thoughts whenever Edward was in mind-reading distance; they weren't often that successful.

"Yes, Edward, thank you, I'm okay," Carlisle whispered his worlds below Esme's hearing range, feeling slightly bad that he was having a conversation with Edward right now instead of concentrating on her shuddering form.

"Then concentrate on her, Dad, I'm going out," Edwards music stopped and he left the house in a flash.

Carlisle looked down to realise that Esme was now crying soundlessly. His arms tightened around her though he had no idea how to comfort her. What tears where they? Were they happy tears? Sad tears? In-between tears? Scared tears? Overwhelmed tears?

"Esme?" he asked gently as though she was a wild animal, he didn't want to spook her and make her cry any more. She looked up at him, a sparkle in her eyes.

"We're going to have a child!" she whispered, her eye's widening into his, imploring him for what he wasn't sure. "A child. A little baby." - her hands left his body to empathize how small the baby would be - "A little us!"

She seemed to grow happier and happier as she went on, the tears still steamed from her eyes though slower now and a smile crept onto her face. He smiled lovingly down on her and she continued to ramble on, grasping and ungrasping his clothing, laughing randomly, kissing his cheek. The fear of the unknown seemed to have passed and she had passed into an excited expecting woman. Her dream of being a mother had come back to her and he watched the sparkle in her eyes become brighter than he'd ever seen before.

Not being able to help himself, he cupped her face in his hands, stopping her movement, and kissed her softly, lovingly, gently, pouring his love for her into that one kiss. She melted into him.

And that is how Carlisle found out that vampires could have children and that he was having one - not exactly what he had been expecting when he drove home from work that evening.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was the longer pregnancy in existence. Ever. That's not being dramatic either: instead of the usual 9 month pregnancy, it was 18 months long. 18 months of hormones and cravings and, as much as Carlisle loved his wife and as much as he was a patient man, there had come times when he just wanted to strangle her. It wasn't great with their whole not raising suspicions that they were different so for most of the pregnancy the story was that Esme was not well enough to socialise with the neighbours but that in turn had made her stir crazy. They had gone further afield to go out and about so people wouldn't know how long she had been pregnant.

When they baby finally came, after even more screaming from Esme and Carlisle trying to be both a doctor and a supportive husband, on September 9th, he had never felt so relived. Both mother and child were fine and all the stress of the past 18 months drifted away. It was a girl, a beautiful tiny girl with brown hair and, for the moment, these dark grey, brown eyes which weren't really a colour. Esme was entranced with her as soon as she heard her cry and cried herself when the tiny child was placed in her arms.

He kissed his wife's sweaty forehead and smiled down at her when she looked up him, a beaming smile on her face despite her exhaustion which he couldn't help expanding his own smile to return in full force - never did he think he had been so happy, not even on their wedding day. He would say that she was the most beautiful child he had even seen but he would be biased. He was sure however that she had vampire beauty.

"She's warm," Esme muttered softly, brushing a hand over their daughter's small forehead.

Carlisle nodded, pressing his lips together. He could only guess that that was because of what she was. When he was holding her before he had passed her to Esme, he had also noticed how warm she was, the slightly hardness to her skin, it was pale with a slightly blush to it, he could also hear that her heartbeat was faster than any species he'd ever met before, like the fluttering of a hummingbirds wings, and her scent was a strange mixture between vampire and human. He forced her abnormalness out of his head to focus on the joy he was feeling.

"Well, what do you want to call her, my love?" he brushed Esme's sweaty hair out of her faced, perching on the side of the bed, she leant against him, his stone like body a perfect support in her weariness.

"Isabella," she whispered and the child blinked at her, hand reaching and Carlisle chuckled. "Isabella Cullen"

"Seems she agrees."

It didn't take them long to decide on a middle name, choosing Marie after Carlisle's mother who had died giving birth to him all those years ago. Isabella Marie Cullen, their daughter, their beautiful little hybrid.

After a while Carlisle noticed that Esme breathing was slowing down towards sleep and he looked down just in time to see her force her eyes open.

"Darling, go to sleep, you're exhausted, you deserve to sleep, I've got Isabella," he whispered softly in her ear and felt her nod against his arm.

He took Isabella off her and she lay down, her breathing falling into a steady sleeping pattern quickly. He smiled at her before averting his attention to the tiny, warm bundle in his arms. She was the quietest baby he had even seen and he saw a lot working in a hospital for so many years. She stared straight up at him, seeming completely aware of everything going on. He felt love for her surge though as she raised her arms and wriggled slightly. Raising his hand to hover over her, she quickly grabbed his finger, blinking again to show pale lavender eyelids. Her grasp was strong, stronger than a humans.

There was the sound on footsteps and so. leaving Esme to sleep, Carlisle took his daughter down stairs. Edward would be entering the house within seconds. Time for the fifteen year old to meet the girl who Carlisle hoped he would love like a little sister.

"How's Mom?" Edward asked as he stepped into the room; he switched between calling both Carlisle and Esme "Dad" and "Mom" or their actual names frequently, sometimes multiple time during a single conversation. Carlisle supposed it was a matter of what he felt most comfortable saying in that specific moment.

"Sleeping but she's fine," Carlisle replied as he stepped into the room that Edward was in fully, he saw Edward's nose wrinkle as he caught Isabella's smell. "Do you want to meet your sister?"

Edwards lips quirked into his crooked smile and Carlisle smiled fatherly back at him, telling him to come closer with his thoughts. Edward drifted forward warily as though scared he would lose control or something despite the strange smell of her blood and attack the tiny infant but when he was close enough Carlisle crouched down slightly and saw his face soften immediately.

"Wow," he whispered and it dawned on Carlisle that Edward had probably never seen such a young baby. "She's so beautiful, Dad."

"Yes," Carlisle managed to nod, watching Edward eye his daughter warily. "Do you want to hold her, son?"

Edward swallowed but nodded. There was no way he was going to drop her being a vampire and all and her skin seemed to be reasonably tough. Edward shouldn't have been so scared but then when you're a vampire you do get it in your mind that you're rater like a bull in a china shop. He carefully instructed Edward on the best way to hold her and then passed her gently in his arms, warning in his mind that she ran hot, enough that it was a slight discomfort to their ice cold skin but nothing to worry about.

He smiled at the sight he never thought he would get to see and perched on a chair as he watched Edward interact with Isabella. He was smiling again, talking to her and Isabella just watched, probably not understanding a word he was saying but that wasn't the point.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Isabella grew slowly and to begin with that was terrifying until they realised that it was just part of her traits as a different species. One of many different traits. They were quick to discover that she could eat both human food and blood. They tried to keep her on the former more than anything which wasn't hard because Esme was still human and eating human food so Isabella just followed what her mother did without making a fuss.

When she was four years old though she looked only about two, Esme asked Carlisle to change her. She was now three years older than him and was adamant in her decision that she didn't want to become anymore, that she wanted to start their forever. He made sure that she understood everything she was giving up - more children, her family, her friends, her home - but she wasn't to be swayed. Esme was a soft creature but once her mind was made up there wasn't really much point arguing with her. She had had her human experiences, she had one adopted son and one biological daughter; she was content with that. So after much debate and with her beautiful smile telling him it was okay, that she knew it would hurt, he bit into her neck. It was harder than he ever imagined to pull away, seal the wound and bite a different place but with his mind fixed on Esme, Isabella, Edward and the idea of his own heartbreak he managed it.

The next three days were even worse. He wanted to stay with her but then he couldn't watch her writher in pain and he had Isabella to take care of plus the packing, they would have to move now that Esme was changing, she couldn't be around her family anymore: they would see the changes, it would raise suspicions, it wasn't safe. The idea of moving had already been presented to her family - her mother, father, elder sister and younger brother - but they would have to think she died or they would question why she never came home for holidays or called (her voice would sound too different).

Carlisle had one other thing on his mind that had been haunting him since his daughter had been born - the Volturi. Now he had no grudge with them, in fact Aro considered him a close friend, but Aro was a collector, he already wanted Edward for his abilities to read minds at a distance, Carlisle was sure should he find out about Isabella he would either want to kill her for being unknown and new and different or study her for it - neither one was a good thing. How he was going to keep her a secret however was beyond him, Aro would be suspicious if he stayed out of Italy forever but if he did enter Aro would find out about Isabella within a second of touching his hand due to his own gift. Somehow Aro had found out about him marrying Esme, no doubt from a passing vampire, and wanted to meet her once she was transformed so there was also that way that he'd find out about Isabella. It plagued his thoughts and also Edwards, who had to be in his head and hear all those panicking thoughts.

When he heard Esme's heartbeat begin to shudder to a permanent stop, he placed Isabella back in her crib despite the eyes she gave him for doing so and rushed upstairs to their bedroom.

"Esme, my dear," he whispered softly as possible so as not to startle her, "it's alright."

But he startled her anyway, she leaped of the table, huddling into the corner of the room. He warily took a step closer, further into the room, closer to her.

"Esme, it's just me. Look at me, Esme," he kept saying her name to remind her of who she was, to keep her attention on him. She raised her head slowly, her beautiful brown eyes that it had become clear Isabella inherited now a burning crimson that he knew she would hate. Her eyes locked with his and she glanced away.

"Sorry," she whispered softly, her eyebrows raising at the sound of her own voice.

"It's okay," he smiled at her, though as he moved towards her he was still cautious - right now she was strong enough to harm him. He offered her a hand up from where she had curled herself in a corner - even as a vampire clearly her natural reaction wasn't to fight back. She took it warily and once she was up threw herself into him arms. He stumbled slightly from her newborn force.

"Sorry," she whispered again and he chuckled holding her closer to him - the moment was interrupted by a cry: Isabella.

Mothering instincts clearly not affected at all, if anything heightened, Esme turned and it broke his heart to have to stop her.

"Darling, you'll want to hunt first," he told her watching her face fall, she hadn't seen her daughter in three days, he knew she just wanted to go to her. "You need to take care of yourself first right now. We'll go hunt and Edward will stay here with her and then you can go to her. She has blood, Esme, you don't want to hurt her."

"Right," Esme whispered and he kissed her forehead.

"I love you, let's go."

They returned a few hours later, Esme a completely mess but her thirst satisfied. Isabella didn't smell like food to Edward and himself so he was pretty sure Esme would have no problems being near her. The vampire part of her smell made her rather off-putting.

"Are you sure I won't hurt her?" Esme questioned, clinging painfully to his arm.

He tried not to show his pain as he replied, "you'll do fine, my love."

And she did. They fell right back into their usually routine apart from now Esme had to try and control her blood lost. They also somehow had to try and keep her family at bay until she was ready to convince them she was dead.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

2 years later they were living in East Aurora, NY. Isabella looked around three despite actually being six and Esme was in reasonable control of her bloodlust. Isabella's brain seemed to be learning as it normally would so she was an extremely bright three year old. Esme completely adored her daughter and Carlisle had to admit that they did spoil her slightly. Edward was attending East Aurora high school in 9th grade to which he had to walk to and from every day. Esme would have driven him but Carlisle had to take the car to work in Buffalo - the nearby city where he worked - and usually was out with it around the times Edward would need to be taken to and from.

Speaking of Edward, he had fallen into the role of elder brother easily as taken with Isabella as their parents. She in return adored him. They would sit drawing together or Edward would play the piano and she would hum/sing along. Esme often spent her days painting listening to Edwards beautiful playing and Isabella's crystalline singing voice.

"Daddy," Isabella's voice whispered from his door and he spun around to face her, "I'm weally bored."

He smiled at her slightly broken speech and she came and scrambled up onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around her he brushed her mahogany hair, from whom she got that from he wasn't sure, out of her eyes.

"What do you want to do then?" he questioned, bouncing his knee slightly.

"Will you wead to me?" she said, fiddling with one of her waves - the colour many be a mystery but her hair was still Esme's. In fact, his daughter was mostly Esme which caused his heart to break every time he looked at her: her eye shape and colour, her hair texture and style, her heart shaped face and dimples but her nose was his and he was pretty sure she was going to end up with his height.

"Sweetie, I'm very busy," he glanced back at the stacks of paper on his desk but she pouted up at him, her mother's brown eyes wide, and he sighed. "Alright, go get a book."

Moving at vampire speed he tried to speed through as many papers as she could as she disappeared out the room into the 'library'. He didn't get very far before she was back at the door. She had picked up "The Wind in the Willows" something they had read a few times recently but she loved so much. He got up and took her hand, leading her to a comfy chair. Picking her up again, she snuggled into his arms and he opened the book.

"Chapter One: The River Bank," he read and felt her snuggle closer to him being physically only three she was so small. "The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur, and an aching back and wary arms. Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing. It was small wonder, then, that he suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said 'Bother!' and 'Oh blow!' and also 'Hang spring-cleaning!' and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat. Something up above was calling him imperiously," - he paused for a second, no matter how many times they read this book she seemed to always question this word, for the first time she didn't and he smiled before continuing, she was learning - "and he made for the steep little tunnel which answered in his case to the gravelled carriage-drive owned by animals whose residences are nearer to the sun and air. So he scraped and scratched and scrabbled and scrooged, and then he scrooged again and scrabbled and scratched and scraped, working busily with his little paws and muttering to himself, 'Up we go! Up we go!' till at last, pop!" - the normal giggle was elected - "his snout came out into the sunlight, and he found himself rolling in the warm grass of a great meadow.

"'This is fine!' he said to himself. 'This is better than whitewashing!' The sunshine struck on his fur, soft breezes caressed his heated brow, and after the seclusion of the cellarage he had lived in so long the carol of happy birds fell on his dulled hearing almost like a shout. Jumping off all his four legs at once, in the joy of living, and the delight of spring without its cleaning, he pursued his way across the meadow till he reached the hedge on the further side. . . ."

He continued reading but was barely a quarter of the way though the book before she fell asleep. Within seconds of him noticing, Esme was walking towards the room they were sat in.

"Isabella, bedtime, sweet-" her words feel short as she entered the room to see her husband placing a book on the side and their daughter curled up asleep in his arms. She smiled softly. "Never mind."

Her husband chuckled softly and she felt her love for him even stronger. She was so lucky to have him, to have Edward, to have Isabella, to have forever with them, to have longer with Isabella as a child than most people would get. She loved her family so much she thought her stone heart would break with the force of it.

Carlisle got up carefully gathering his still tiny daughter in his arms and followed Esme through the house to Isabella's bedroom. A room Esme had painstakingly decorated during long days with Isabella. Carlisle had taken the nights when he wasn't a work meaning Esme wasn't completely knackered during the day - he hadn't needed to sleep and that made having a young baby whose not sleeping through the night thing was twice as long a lot easier. The room was a pale baby blue colour with a tree, it's branch curving over her bed, a green bird on the wall just below it - it was a gorgeous room, one Esme was extremely proud of.

Esme pulled back the quilted duvet so Carlisle could lay Isabella in the bed, her head resting on the embroidered name pillow, before tucking it in around her, dropping a kiss on her head.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Esme had taken it on herself to teach Isabella what she would if she was in her school classes, she didn't look old enough to go to school but her brain was more than ready to accept the information besides Esme had always wanted to be a teacher and found teaching her own child rewarding. So while Edward was at High School, she and Isabella followed the curriculum set for 1st Grade at the dining table that had become the study table because they never used it for dining - Isabella ate at the kitchen island. Esme wasn't sure what Isabella thought of being home-schooled - Edward couldn't for so reason unknown to them read her mind, Carlisle believe it might be her gift but they had decided together not to deal with until she was older - but she knew she appreciated the fact that they were treating her educationally by her brain age rather than her physical age.

Her strongest suit was already clear: English. Having been draw to books as soon as possible. Esme presumed it was Carlisle gene's that had something to do with that since the man was practically never seen without a book and Isabella was quickly becoming the same. She was an intelligent child though overall but it was also already clear that she had inherited Esme's tendency to worry and was also prone to freaking out slightly too much. Isabella loved her studies though, she threw herself into them with eagerness and curiosity.

Questions were her life saver and she was interested in everything. She would follow Edward around the house questioning everything he was doing and asking him to explain homework and things to her, Carlisle's office, filled with fascinating portraits and objects, could keep her requesting information for hours and even Esme's paintings were not excluded from this. Art was not Isabella's strong suit in the slightest, it was probably her weakest subject no matter how much Esme tried to help her improve. Isabella hated it. She hated not being able to do something and would throw herself even further into it if that was the case, nothing would stop her.

"Okay, Bella. Focus, sweetheart," Esme tapped her daughter's nose teasingly. "Try and write the 'a' again."

Her motor skills were only as good as that of a three year old - so though she had the brains to do everything and work it all out, writing had not yet been accomplished. This was their main focus. Esme was trying to get Isabella to write her name which seemed to be a harder task than she had anticipated. The "I" she could do as just a straight line, the tops a bit to wobbly and not joined half the time, she was excellent at her 's' but the 'a' was just causing problems. Esme had printed it time and time again, guided her hand, they had tried tracing. She was almost relieved that this was the last time she was going to say 'try again' before letting her have a twenty minute break.

Because she spent so much time with Isabella during the day, Esme tried to make sure that in the afternoon she spread her attention on both Edward and Isabella and that during the night she had a good long conversation with Edward. She loved them both equally and would do everything in her power to make sure they knew it. Sometimes she felt that she did give Isabella more attention but simple over the fact that this was the first time she had lived and needed more help than Edward did. Edward didn't need her all that much.

"Go on," she smiled looking at the clock, "go have some fun - what are you going to do?"

"Outside," she said happily and Esme followed her into their large garden watching as her daughter ran around without a care in the world, leaping into the air higher than a human her age could only dream to jump. In fact Esme was pretty sure she could stay up long enough to do a twirl before landing gracefully. It was strange that she could run and dance like this but couldn't write but then nothing was really how it was expected to be with Isabella.

Twenty minutes later, after Isabella had some food (an apple), they got back to work, moving onto to mathematics something Isabella had a much better hold of than her writing skills though it hadn't always been this way; Esme remembered the other year when she was trying to teach her to add. For example, five and two. She would hold five fingers up on one hand, and then put two more up, explaining it through to Isabella as she did, and then asking her how many fingers were now up. Isabella would then count them and give her the correct answer of seven but when Esme then asked her what five add two was she said she didn't know. It was a tiring experience that Esme was glad to move past as much as she loved children, Isabella especially, and teaching.

"Mommy," Isabella said that night as Esme tucked her into bed, Carlisle was working the late shift so he couldn't read with her as he normally did, "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," Esme kissed her forehead, trying to show Isabella just how much. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Night," Isabella whispered.

Esme smiled and headed downstairs, finding Edward on the sofa. He smiled up at her easily and she sat down next to him, ruffling his hair causing him to scowl at her. Edward was technically now twenty-two - a vampire of seven years - but he still pulled faces at her like he was really still fifteen.

"So anything interesting happen today?" she asked and quiet Edward went off chatting, telling her about the different parts of his day.

"Oh, that new song I was writing? I finished it," Edward added as an afterthought and Esme felt her face automatically slip into a beam,

"Will you play it for me?" she requested excitedly and Edward rolled his eyes.

"Like you even have to ask anymore," he chuckled.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next day was Saturday so Edward wasn't at school and they had the day to themselves. Carlisle had arrived back from the hospital around midnight and had gone back by six thirty so Isabella wasn't happy when she woke up and Esme empathized with her. If she still had to sleep so she couldn't be with Carlisle during the few hours he was home she wouldn't be impressed. She pitied the other doctors who actually had to sleep in those few hours between their shifts and still be able to provide top care to their patients. Weekends though Esme usually loved because it was when Isabella and Edward spent the most time together. Like now: she was sitting on the window, her sketch book opened and perched on her lap, spirals coming out of her pencil to form an outline to the page before she drew her main picture. Edward was at the piano as he was more often than not and Isabella was at his side. Edwards's fingers were sliding around the keys confidently, easily and gracefully, his eyes not evening needing to look at the sheet of music in front of him, having already memorised it. Isabella sat beside him, plaiting and unplaiting her wavy her, singing along to what he played. Esme wasn't sure if she was making it up as she went along or if these were the lyrics to an actual song. She recognised the music they had just changed into at the very least and it wasn't one of Edwards own.

"Life is not a highway strewn with flowers," Esme smiled as her daughter voice washed over her, her the highs and lulls in her singing providing inspirations for her drawing along with Edwards complex piece of music. "Still it holds a goodly share of bliss,

"When the sun gives way to April showers,

"Here is the point you should never miss"

They kept going all morning, laughing and chatting together. Edward was protective of her extremely so and she loved to clamber all over him - he was her personal climbing frame, not that he minded at all. Esme laughed as he took Isabella off his shoulders for the hundredth time and placed her back on the floor before she toppled over and hurt herself and she simple pouted up at him.

"What are you drawing, Mom?" Edward asked a while later, swinging Isabella around by her hands causing her laughter to bubble up and exploded loudly round the whole house.

Esme smiled up at him, "oh, just two of my favourite people."

Edward pulled a face: he hated it when she started sketching him but had grown used to it over the years. She was never going to stop, it was just a part of life.

The sound of a car in the driveway changed the atmosphere quickly. Edward stopped spinning Isabella and carefully steadied her on her feet allowing her to wobble towards the door with him not far behind, Esme placed her sketchbook down and followed quickly. Isabella was outside before she even reached the door - it was scary watching a three year old run around just because Esme was sure she wasn't going to be able to stop in time and end up injuring herself but since this time she was running towards her father there was nothing to go wrong. Even if she tripped one of them could move fast enough to catch her.

Carlisle scooped up his daughter in one swift moving, hardly pausing in his walk, and kissed her forehead. Esme stayed hovering the doorway so Edward was the next one her husband reached. He ruffled the bronze hair that sat untidily on the boys head and finally reached her, pressing a kiss to her cheek he smiled.

"Nice greeting," he chuckled and she returned his smile. "How's your day been?"

The question was directed at all of them and Edward was the one who answered but quickly relayed the conversation back to his father. Edward wasn't interested in medicine enough to want to go into it, he didn't believe he would ever had the control to do so either, but he loved hearing about Carlisle's work. Soon the conversation turned to cars for Edward was reaching the age in this lifetime where he would soon be allowed to drive. They could afford another so why not? Esme shook her head at her two boys and went with her daughter to make her lunch.

"What to do with them, hey, sweetheart?" she smiled, picking Isabella up off the floor. "What do you want to eat?"

That evening they all sat in their living room having a quiet family evening that they didn't actually get that often anymore. Esme and Edward sat on the sofa while Carlisle sat on a chair and, being the daddy's girl that she was, Isabella sat with him.

"Mom, Dad, it's 6:45," Edward told them nodding at the clock, "do you want me to put Bella to bed? You can have some time alone that way."

Carlisle and Esme shared a look and Edward winked at Isabella.

"If you want to, Edward," Carlisle said, kissing Isabella's forehead and placing her on the ground. She walked over quickly to hug her mother good night and then Edward scooped her up eliciting a giggle of surprise.

Once in her room Edward picked up the book she and their father had been reading recently. He read for half an hour, her awake the whole time and finished with the following:

"You know, I do believe in magic. I was born and raised in a magic time, in a magic town, among magicians. Oh, most everybody else didn't realize we lived in that web of magic, connected by silver filaments of chance and circumstance. But I knew it all along. When I was twelve years old, the world was my magic lantern, and by its green spirit glow I saw the past, the present and into the future. You probably did too; you just don't recall it. See, this is my opinion: we all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put on the straight and narrow and told to be responsible. Told to act our age. Told to grow up, for God's sake. And you know why we were told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wildness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad of what they'd allowed to wither in themselves.

"After you go so far away from it, though, you can't really get it back. You can have seconds of it. Just seconds of knowing and remembering. When people get weepy at movies, it's because in that dark theatre the golden pool of magic is touched, just briefly. Then they come out into the hard sun of logic and reason again and it dries up, and they're left feeling a little heart sad and not knowing why. When a song stirs a memory, when motes of dust turning in a shaft of light takes your attention from the world, when you listen to a train passing on a track at night in the distance and wonder where it might be going, you step beyond who you are and where you are. For the briefest of instants, you have stepped into the magic realm.

"That's what I believe.

"The truth of life is that every year we get farther away from the essence that is born within us. We get shouldered with burdens, some of them good, some of them not so good. Things happen to us. Loved ones die. People get in wrecks and get crippled. People lose their way, for one reason or another. It's not hard to do, in this world of crazy mazes. Life itself does its best to take that memory of magic away from us. You don't know it's happening until one day you feel you've lost something but you're not sure what it is. It's like smiling at a pretty girl and she calls you "sir." It just happens.

"These memories of who I was and where I lived are important to me. They make up a large part of who I'm going to be when my journey winds down. I need the memory of magic if I am ever going to conjure magic again. I need to know and remember, and I want to tell you.

"It's 7:15, Bella, better get into bed," he smiled down at his young sister, seeing from her brown eyes that she really wanted more. "Dad or Mom will continue tomorrow."

"Fine," she sighed, snugging down further in to her warm bed. "Night, Edward."

"Night little sis."

 **I know I've put a lot of book extracts in this but I just love this quote so much - I heard it on One Tree Hill, a brother reading it to his baby sister - and I just really wanted to put it in. It's "A Boy's Life" for those who don't know, a book I really want to read. Though it was only published in April 30th 1992 can we just ignore that fact?!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Life continued this way for the next few years, no riffs, plenty of expected arguments, no suspicions, no disastrous situations but of course we know that doesn't stay the case for very long, we know that something is looming over the horizon to ruin the happy family and it was coming very soon.

In fact the reason we picked this particular day to account to you is because of it is that vary formidable day when life for the Cullen's took a horrifying turn for the worst and just as a little insight, Carlisle's worries a few years ago we're completely legitimate worries.

Weirdly enough, everyone was home that evening. Carlisle as we know was in his study doing the last bit of paperwork for the day, Isabelle was attempting to sleep in her room for now and Esme was in the lounge chatting with Edward. Normal as we have said, nothing was any different than it had been any other night but again not for very long.

Isabella groaned almost silently as she rolled over in her bed, sleep evading her. It was the middle of summer and almost sweltering. It was nights and days like these that she wished she could be like her family and not feel the changes in the external temperatures.

Being able to take the heat no longer - she had wriggled her covers off herself long ago so they lay at a pile at the end of the bed - the physically five year old stumbled over and onto the window seat, pushing the window open as far as she could allowing the slightly cooler air rush across her features and blow her mahogany hair away from her face. As soon as she had done a mist drifted into the room and everything went black and silent for her. Before she could even open her mouth to scream or make a single noise a hand clasped over her mouth (though with her sense removed, she didn't know that) and she was pulled from the house, from her home, and into the darkness of the night and the unknown.

To be fair her disappearance was no one's fault for it was expected that anyone would go over to the window and open it in a heat such as that. Well, no one's fault expect the people that took her that is. Esme even got up to check when she heard her daughter moving across her bedroom but having no reason to suspect anything wrong she wasn't fast enough.

You can imagine the horror and pain and confusion poor Esme felt when she walked into her daughter's bedroom to find a silent room, an empty bed and an open window. Her eyes scanned the room as though expecting Isabella to jump out while she made her way over to the window. No scent had been left and nothing could be seen out the window even with vampire vision. Esme sunk down on the window seat and felt panic overwhelm over. Burying her head in her hands she aimed to get control of herself, to try herself down.

"Bella?" she whispered softly, willing her daughter to appear as she often did but somehow Esme knew this time was different, something inside of her told her something was wrong, that something was wrong with Isabella, that this wasn't a joke and that it was serious, deadly serious.

It took a great deal of strength for her to push herself off that window seat but she needed, she had, to check around the house despite all those feelings. She usually had a natural ability to find where Isabella was, even without following her scent. That was also what was scaring her, Isabella's most recent scent ended at the window and then disappeared altogether.

"Mom?" Edward asked as she ghosted into the living room again. "What's wrong?"

"Have you seen your sister?" Esme breathed and Edward shook his head slowly causing Esme's face to fall. "Would you go look outside for me? I'm going to go... I need to tell, talk... I need Carlisle."

Edward was already up and moving before she finished her broken sentence and Esme turned for her husband's office. She paused at the bottom of the stairs, gathering her breath and strength. She remembered the last time she had gone to Carlisle's office as scared as this - neither times scared of him but of what was happening.

She practically pulled herself up the stairs and drifted to his office, pushing the door open gently though in normal situations she would knock so as not to disturb his train of thought abruptly.

"Carlisle," she whispered gently, pushing the door shut as she lent backwards on it. She watched the muscles in her husband's back tense. "Bella's missing."

There was a pause of silence where neither of them moved and Carlisle gathered his carefully constructed control so he didn't break at hearings those words. Trying to keep his face calm - and failing miserably - he made his way toward his now shaking wife and held her tightly.

He weighed each word before speaking, "what do you mean?"

"I mean she's not in the house!" was the hysteric and yet dazed reply, "Edward's looking outside but..."

"Shh," Carlisle whispered, feeling panic well up inside him and stopping his wife before she got both of them into a state. "It's okay, we'll find her, it's alright, we're not going to lose her. Come on, let's go downstairs and help Edward."

"Okay," she replied heavily and together the two parents headed down stairs to search for their daughter in the area surrounding their home.

They'd have no luck though by now Isabella was miles away with kidnappers who were prepared for this with a fake ID to get her out of the country before the sun rose the next morning and it would be a long time before they ever saw again.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Now if you've been paying attention to the story so far (or just know peoples gifts remarkable well) you'd know exactly who took little Isabella and where/who she is being taken to.

Isabella had been screaming since the moment after the hand clamped over her mouth and was still screaming when her senses finally returned to her. She stopped immediately as she felt the pain her throat was now in not to mention the shock of her vision returning to find red eyes inches for hers, burning out of the night-time darkness.

"Shut up already or you and I are going to have severe problems," the owner of the eyes growled. "We're going to go into the airport now and you are going to be a good girl and keep your mouth shut - are we quite clear?"

Isabella, scared out of her mind, nodded quickly not sure what to make of being spoken to in such a way. She had never interacted with anyone outside her family and they all spoke to her so softly - even when mad, her parents never raised their voices are her. The venom dripping this man's voice was a new concept to her, one that made her want to shut up out of sheer terror.

"Al, you're scaring the kid," a deep voice laughed from behind her and she jumped dramatically causing more.

"That's the point," 'Al' muttered. "Take the damn girl, would you? She's driving me mental even without her senses."

Isabella was pulled backwards by a hand that was the same temperature as her family's at the same time the same person spoke, "so why'd you give them back to her?"

"Suspicious, come on, let's get on the plane before the sun rises."

Isabella was dragged unceremoniously through a small crowd (you had to be extremely rich to use air travel at that time) by the two men and she just noticed one female. A small brunette who seemed to enjoy shooting dangers at her and making her cringe which then in turn resulted in her getting pulled forward forcibly.

Isabella tried to blank out as they stopped at a desk, trying to use her 10 year old brain to think of way to get back to her family but she was jolted back to present as the lady behind the desk spoke.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Isabella just stared at her with wide brown eyes blank but still full of fear.

The man who threatened her just grinned at the lady and Isabella swore she blushed, "my little's sisters just a bit scared of flying - she's certain we'll all crash and die."

Isabella glared at the man, well she supposed he was a boy since she wasn't any older than Edward really, while the one holding her hand continued with whatever they were doing. It wasn't long before she was being pulled again and it took all her strength not to cry out and it seemed Alec knew that as he kept giving her dark, warning looks.

They eventually forced her into the airplane, Isabella struggling all the time and beginning to scream and cry again.

"Shut up, kid! You want me to kill you?!"

"Let me go! I don't want to go with you! No, please, please," she screamed and screamed before eventually the brunette girl, Jane as we know her to be, shot her brother a look and Isabella's senses went again. Of course this didn't stop her screaming or her tears but it stopped her fighting.

About an hour or two later, her screaming came to a stop though her senses were still gone and she drifted into a shallow and restless sleep.

The next time she would see and feel and hear would be when she was inside the Volturi castle, being carried in Felix's arms towards what she would soon come to know as the throne room though at this point she would still be asleep. Told you Carlisle's fears would have been worth the time worrying about.

"Ah, I do feel bad taking Carlisle's daughter from him like this but we can't risk her exposing us - we need to be able to understand what she is and how she behaves or she could be a danger to us all," Isabella heard from a soft voice as she began drifting back to wakefulness and felt herself tense noticeably on the cold floor where Felix had laid her down.

"He should just be glad we're not killing either her or everyone one of them," a harsh voice said but the other voice hushed him.

"Careful, brother, I think the child has awoken. There's no need to frighten her."

Isabella took a deep breath, terrified that they knew she was awake, and rolled over to look at the people speaking. There was a gasp from the black haired man she recognised as Aro from her father's office paintings.

"Well, I'll give it to Carlisle that's she rather an extraordinarily thing."

"I'm not an object," she whispered in an irritated but still melodic tone and Caius glared at her causing her shrink into herself again.

Aro however tutted at his brother, "Caius, I warned you not to scare the _child_. She's going to be our guest for a long time." - there was a snort from Demetri at the word guest having heard all about the extent Felix, Alec and Jane went to get the little creature where they were now. - "My dear Sulpicia insisted that the child be treated with the utmost love and care and that's what shall happen."

 **Urg, really don't know if I'm doing these chapters justice :/ sorry if I'm not but they're quite hard to write especially in the narration style that I'm using. I'm also finding hard portraying the Volturi as bad guys since in my other stories where they are present a lot they're not ! Alec especially given that he's usually Isabella's love interest in the stories.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Back at home, a few months later, they were beginning to lose hope in ever finding her. The first weeks were spent with none stop searching - Carlisle using his years of stored up holiday hours - but with no luck, no trance, not even a scent no matter how old to follow. The Denali's - the only vampires in the world that the Cullen's had actually told of Isabella - came down to help as well as well as having a look up near their territory on the slight chance that someone had passed through there.

It was one of those things where you can only look for so long before you having to stop trying so hard because there are no more clues to follow no matter how much you wanted to keep going. They Volturi were still echoing in the back of Carlisle's head but he knew practically every scent in that Coven/Guard and nearly everyone's gift unless Aro had been keeping someone secret from him. There was also the fact that if there was a child within the Volturi news would have spread about that fairly quickly... unless Aro was purposely keeping it under wraps. That was thing, he tried to convince himself that the last place Isabella would be is the Volturi, that he and Aro were good enough friends that if she was with him, he would send her back to them, but his brain just giving him counter argument's and there was no way he could just go to the Volturi and ask if Aro had seen a girl he was supposed to never have known anything off. It was killing his brain so he threw himself into work, knowing that sometimes if you don't look for something, it'd appear. Of course he knew that Bella wasn't just going to appear out of thin air but maybe something else would become clear in his mind, some detail he over looked, something he didn't notice if he didn't strain his brain to try and find it.

Esme wasn't fairing much better either but instead of throwing herself into things like her artwork she withdrew from it, trying to avoid anything that would remind her of their daughter. Edward tried to cheer her up but the piano would only make her sob.

So yes none of them were faring well without Isabella and the house was all the quieter because of it. It didn't help of course that tomorrow was her 11th birthday

The door to Isabella's bedroom remained firmly shut as did the bedroom window, Carlisle wasn't sure what difference it made except that they didn't have to watch the room become covered in a thin layer of dust and the curtains flutter innocently every time they walked past it.

He glanced at the closed door as he walked past it, feeling an ache in his heart, but continued on to his own room where Esme had been holing herself away for the past few days.

"Es," he muttered softly as he entered to his wife body, curled up under the covers and he could just see her fingers moving to play with her engagement ring as she often did as she was thinking. He perched next to her, "come on, please, I know this is hard, trust me, it's absolutely killing me every second of the day knowing she's out there somewhere and I don't even know where, let alone protect her and that's meant to be my job. I'm sorry, you're so upset, darling, I'm sorry I couldn't protect our girl properly but will you please get up for me and for Edward. He needs you right now, he's just lost his little sister as much as we've lost a daughter."

Esme rolled over to face Carlisle and he felt a pang go through him as he hated for that single second how much Isabella looked like her mother. He gave her a tense smile which she weakly returned. She allowed him to take her hand and pull her off the bed into his embrace before they headed downstairs to present a united, caring and supportive front for Edward.

Time continued to pass by as crazy as the idea seemed – eventually against their desire they moved away from West Aurora. They knew it was silly staying and endangering themselves as well on the very low chance that Isabella would find he way back to them by herself. Even if she got away from wherever she was, the likelihood that she would find her way home was even lower. Moving made no difference really but it didn't stop them from putting it off as long as they could, it didn't stop Esme from almost crying as they locked up the house for the last time, leaving the keys in a safe place and driving away to start afresh.

They were going to New York, Rochester to be exact, simply because they had never been there before and they'd never visited it with Isabella, there would be no memories to haunt them there.

It was 1930 when the moved, 3 years after they had lost Isabella. She'd have been six and half at that point (or 13 depending on which you were measuring by) but they gained another member of the family eventually. A blonde haired teen called Rosalie Hale, a vain, selfish creature but one Carlisle couldn't bear to see die. It was nice having an addition to their family, giving Esme a girl to talk to but it didn't help the hole that still churned painfully in their hearts.

She found her mate in 1935 and the whole family was so happy for her and remarkably proud for the restraint she found when carrying him back to Carlisle to change. He was Emmett McCarty, an innocent seeming but imposingly looking creature with a love of life. He brought laughter back into the Cullen house but darkness still descended over the place and the three original occupants too often to say he'd cured their misery.

 **Sorry, really short but it** **'** **s just a filler really x**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Daddy!"

Isabella still wasn't sleeping well - it was still too hot in Italy (where she had learnt she was and still hadn't gotten used to), she missed her family and she kept having nightmares. Nobody cared. Nobody cared if she couldn't sleep, nobody cared if she grew or shrank, nobody cared that all she wanted was her family, her parents and her brother. She didn't want these red-eyed people. She didn't want them but they didn't care.

She had suffered from nightmares since she was brought there and sometimes Sulpicia would come in and try to calm her - she never had any success, she couldn't reach Isabella in the realms of nightmares, so she rarely, if ever, came. She was too old for nightmares anyway, according to Felix.

Tossing and turning in her bed, midnight struck and her birthday was there. 19 years of age and not even looking 10. There was no point getting excited for her birthday as she had when she was little, there would be nothing different about that day than any other. Perhaps she would get a present or two but it wasn't the same as home when her dad would take all day off work and they'd all go out somewhere if Edward wasn't at school - sometimes they even dragged Edward out. She could barely believe that she hadn't seen them in almost 9 years - if it wasn't for her vampire memory she would barely remember them but she did and she could never decide it that was better or worse.

She could remember her mother's drawing and cooking talents, she could remember using Edward as a climbing frame, she could remember her father's laugh and curling in his arms as he read to her.

The door creeped open as she began to mutter happy birthday to herself and she quickly stopped, gazing into the doorway to make out Alec. If she was honest, she would admit that she was still rather terrified of him even though he wasn't as horrible as he had been when he kidnapped her but he _kidnapped_ her, took her from her beloved family to this strange, cold place where no one seemed to love anyone else.

"Happy birthday, Isabella," his accented voice muttered lowly without emotion. "Master Aro wishes to see you."

"I do not wish to see him," she replied quickly, "it's too early, _I_ wish to sleep more!"

Alec sighed, "It'll be better for you if you go now and then you can come back and sleep – I'll make sure no one comes near the room…"

Isabella looked over at him from where she had buried herself in the covers with only her brown eyes showing, making her look a few years younger. It was a thing she couldn't keep up with about Alec, his mood swings, one minute he was the guy he was when he took her and then suddenly his eyes would soften and he'd compromise with her, smile at her even. Those times she found it hard, as she did now, not to smile back at him. His hand reached towards her and, sighing heavily, she took it and allowed him to pull her out of bed and toward the doorway all the while ignoring the squirming in her stomach.

As always Aro wanted to have her measured her, to check how she was developing both physically and mentally (including her shielding gift), and her least favourite: to see whether she could keep their existence a secret. This last one often included feeding habit but to Aro's _fascination_ she couldn't stomach drinking humans after being raised on human food since she was a baby.

She tried her best not to speak to any of the three kings as much as possible. Caius still, after all these years, absolutely terrified her. He had done ever since he yelled at her when she was first there. Sometimes she dreamed of throwing something at him and watching that papery skin flutter apart, like when you blow a pile of confetti. Aro too scared her partly because he seemed to be the one who was actually in charge rather than the equal power view they wanted to put out. But also partly because she had seen how his easy going, childish, excitable demeanour could change within a second and she could rarely predict when it was going to happen. Marcus, she often found hard to think much off whether fear or friendliness. He was safe though in a way: he had no interest in her. No Aro was the one who wanted to study her, to collect her and Caius was the one who wanted to use her, to use her as a shield in battle so no gift could penetrate her shield.

They let her go after over 2 hours and, instead of going straight to bed like she had planned, she sprinted to the kitchen. It was one thing she had to thank Marcus for – his apathetic nature allowed her to eat what she wished and, since that was human food, they got her her own personal cook. She could cook for herself now but the chef was still there.

"Isabella, Isabella!" she chimed as Isabella skidded to a stop in the kitchen. "Mia cara, buon compleanno!"

Isabella smiled. The cook was the one person in the whole castle she was sure had no hidden motive, not to mention she reminded Isabella so much of her own mother. "Is that for me?"

She pointed across the room to a beautiful iced-white Italian cream cake with her name written in calligraphy on top it. It was small but perfectly made.

"Of course it is! Who else's birthday would it be for?"

With a beam and hug, Isabella thanked her only parent figure enthusiastically. Taking the class of water and cake she was offered she sat down at the island just as Alec walked in. They both stiffened before Isabella turned and studied Alec's eyes (the only way she could ever tell what he was thinking). They were bright burning crimson but soft.

"Going to wish for anything?" he asked as he crossed the room towards her.

Isabella sighed – every time she was given a cake, saw a shooting star or lost an eyelash she always wished for the same thing: to be back with her parents and brother; to be out of this place.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

We're going to quickly look into someone else's view of what's happened and is happening – Alec's. He took Isabella, he stole her from her family and now he's her only friend in the dark Volturi castle – how? Easy, he got to know her. To begin with to him she was just a crying, screaming, irritating kid that he had to bring to Aro but as the years past and he ended up being made to watch her, he realised she was actually quite sweet and had the biggest heart he'd ever known. Often, he felt bad for what he did to her and he tried every day to make it up to her. Even if it meant removing his façade and actually being himself around her.

She never seemed to notice his guilt but he noticed how she reacted to him when he acted as himself. The fact that every time without fail she returned his smiles and took his hand when it was offered – that she nearly always took his compromises. He wanted her to be happy but he still had to obey Aro thus he couldn't make her completely happy by fulfilling what she truly wanted – her family.

I'm going to give you a glimpse of their ending because our story won't go far enough to show and I care little for mystery. Alec loved her, completely, she was his mate. It's simply a shame that neither of them ever get around to realising it. At least, not before it was too late for them to be anything.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Aro had finally pushed it too far. Isabella way leaving; she couldn't stay there another second. She was going to find her family and escape the dreadful place she had been kept prisoner for so long. It didn't matter that when she first decided to escape she had no clue where to even start looking, that it had been a decade since she'd last seen them, that they could be anywhere in the world but she had to find them. Even a confusing, unpredictable life of trying to find them, of the risk if she got caught sneaking out, was better than doing what Aro had asked of her a couple of days ago. What Aro wanted her to do? Too sick to even say.

She was 20, she may only look 10 but she was 20, she was sure she could figure it out and make her way around. Over the last few days, she'd been doing research – sneaking into Aro's office and looking at everything he wrote about her. It wasn't her fault that she found information about her father. Aro had spoken to him a few days ago, called him, wrote down the information (it was a fatal flaw of Aro's: he liked to have things written down even with his vampire memory).

Her bag (stolen from Alec's room) slammed shut as she ran through the information: Carlisle was well; the family was bigger, a new male and a new female; they lived in Forks, Washington. It had taken her a while to find out where that was, it had taken sneaking into the library and find a map. Still she had no idea how to get there. Money wasn't an issue though; again she'd stolen from Alec. Of course, Isabella felt bad stealing from her only friend but she knew where his stuff was and if he found her in his room there would be no questions. She was sure he wouldn't mind too much – if he did, she'd be long gone.

Tonight she was leaving simply because it was one of the rare times that both the transition guard weren't around and the kings were gone with a few members of the permanent guards to deal with some transgressors. Again, hopefully by the time they got back she'd be miles away. Alec was still around and, whilst Isabella had an overwhelming urge to say goodbye to him, his loyalty was to Aro. There was no way she could be certain he wouldn't turn her in or try to stop her.

Aro couldn't read her mind. He didn't know of her plans.

Demetri couldn't track her. He wouldn't be able to find her.

The only thing she was scared of was that they would come after her family because where else would she go? She would have to find them quickly and pray that Aro had gotten everything that he wanted from her (except of course this final thing).

Also stolen though this time not from Alec instead from his sister Jane was a Volturi cloak since she was the smallest member of the guard. Now she was just waiting for the opportune moment to jump out of the hallway window and into the city. She had to time it right to escape the few patrolling guards.

Alec was out there somewhere.

"Okay," she whispered to herself. "Got to jump so-"

Isabella held her breathe as a guard passed by but as soon as he was round the corner she risked jumping out hearing footsteps through the corridor. Her footfalls were light even for a vampire and she stuck to the shadows with her hood up – glad he hair wasn't blonde like her fathers, blonde would shine out in the dark so much bright than her mahogany.

The city was rather unfamiliar to her – she had never been out in it, never saw it when she was brought here. Her aim was simply to head to the nearest wall – east – and then clamber over it.

It took her a long time. She skulked along roads, dipping into alley ways at the sound of every footstep or bird hoot, tripping over Jane's cloak and holding her breath the entire way. She got lost a few times and had to walk back on herself. She saw very few guards and kept a wide distance away from them – trying not to breath and praying that they wouldn't catch her scent.

In her favour, it was raining. Another reason that tonight was a good night to sneak out. The rain would wash away her scent and make it harder for people to find her. Still she jumped from wall to wall, from roof to roof at the furthest distance she could manage.

When she finally got to the wall, she spun around feeling eyes on her back only to find herself staring into an empty street. As we all would do, she brushed it off as paranoia because, let's be fair, this is a very easy situation for paranoia to plant itself in to, and began to climb a close by building so she could leap across the wall rather than leaving her scent up the side.

The hairs on the back of her neck still stood up on end though and she couldn't help looking around once she reached the roof.

Staring back at her with a typically blank and apathetic expression was Alec. Isabella swallowed audibly. He said nothing. His narrowed gaze stayed on her face.

"Please…" she whispered softly, reaching toward him. She almost wanted to take his hand but touching him could end everything.

The gaze moved and he turned away.

"Get back into the castle," he ordered in a cold and frankly terrifying tone "I expect you to be in your room when I get back in an hour. I don't have time to escort you."

Alec jumped off the building and Isabella breathed again. He was letting her go.

"I promise," she sniffed, praying that would be enough to save him from any punishment. She sat on the roof until his footsteps faded away. It was a pity she could never say thank you but I assure you Alec knew that was actually what she was saying.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

I feel it's been a while since we checked in at home but I'm afraid home isn't very interesting. They missed Isabella but they were living life, they were keeping up their façade of being human and just trying not to let the two new-born's (Emmett and Rosalie) kill any innocents.

The only interesting thing that we could say happened actually takes place a year before the previous chapter.

They had moved over to the west of America to Forks, Washington for it high percentage of cloudy, wet days but we're quick to discover that they weren't the only mythological creatures in the area.

 _It was dark when they finally got to Forks and stopped to feed_ _–_ _dark and cold, not they could feel it nor did they care. They stayed together to hunt something they wouldn_ _'_ _t usually do due to blood rivalry but with two newborns in the ground it was unwise to split up and hunt in case they caught the scent of a human_ _–_ _this close to town that wasn_ _'_ _t out of the question._

 _Edwards head snapped up as they were feeding and the stag he was draining dropped from his hands._

 _"_ _We_ _'_ _re not alone,_ _"_ _he muttered._

 _Carlisle and Esme reacted quickly, dropping their own meals and standing in front of Emmett and Rosalie_ _–_ _there was no point trying to stop them feeding now they_ _'_ _d started_ _–_ _to face where they could smell a distinctly horrible smell. Edward joined them and stood the other side of Esme as three snarling oversized wolves moved into the clearly._

 _Stepping forward, Carlisle was met with a growl._

 _"_ _We mean you no harm,_ _"_ _he said calmly, staring into the intelligent eyes of the animals._

 _He could tell these were not just animals_ _–_ _they stunk for one, we_ _re two large for another and they seemed too aware. All that coupled with the fact that Edward would not have warned them over a couple of overgrown dogs. They were clearly something mythical._

 _His entrance froze them and the two wolves at the side glanced at the centre one_ _–_ _Carlisle continued speaking._

 _"_ _My name is Carlisle Cullen, this is my family,_ _"_ _Carlisle gestured back toward Esme and Edward and noticed that Rosalie and Emmett had stopped feeding under the tense air that circled the situation._ _"_ _We_ _'_ _re planning on staying in Forks-_ _"_

 _The centre and largest one growled angrily._

 _"_ _They know what we are, Carlisle,_ _"_ _Edward whispered warningly._

 _"_ _We have no intention of harming humans,_ _"_ _Carlisle spoke quickly seeing the tensing in the animal_ _'_ _s limbs as it prepared to pounce._ _"_ _As you seen,_ _"_ _–_ _he looked over at the dead animals strewn around_ _–_ _"_ _we_ _'_ _re different. We only feed on animals_ _–_ _vegetarians if you will._ _"_

 _There was silence as Carlisle let them digests the information when suddenly the centre one ran out of the clearing. The two others stayed growling quietly, their eyes flicking between each member of the family. Carlisle looked back at Edward._

 _"_ _He_ _'_ _s gone to transform,_ _"_ _Edward shrugged in response._ _"_ _Apparently he wants to talk_ _…"_

 _It seemed like an aged before a russet skinned man jogged back into the clearing. Carlisle sensed more than saw Edward and Esme share a look._

 _"_ _You want,_ _"_ _he spoke in a deep rumbling voice when he came to a stop,_ _"_ _for me to not to kill you because you claim to be_ _'_ _different_ _'_ _?_ _"_

 _"_ _Indeed,_ _"_ _Carlisle smiled._ _"_ _You can see our topaz eyes_ _–_ _that stems from not hunting humans, if we do our eyes will slowly turn red, the more we consume human blood. Animal blood is different, it sets us apart. We just want to live normal lives_ _–_ _I_ _'_ _m a doctor, the Dr Cullen that_ _'_ _s starting at the hospital. I know there_ _'_ _s been rumours, there always is... May I make a suggestion?_ _"_

 _The man gestured him on, frowning, studying, judging._

 _"_ _We make a treaty._ _"_

 _"_ _What conditions?_ _"_

 _"_ _You can state them,_ _"_ _Carlisle smiled diplomatically,_ _"_ _we will sign it, if we agree to the points, and in return you won_ _'_ _t kill/attack us or tell anyone of our true nature. We_ _'_ _ll live in peace._ _"_

 _The man took a while to consider this but eventually took a step forward. The two wolves stepping forward with him._

 _"_ _Ephraim Black,_ _"_ _the man put his hand out to shake and Carlisle shook it. Again there was a silence before he spoke again._ _"_ _You must not kill or turn a human._ _"_

 _"_ _Easily done,_ _"_ _Carlisle nodded._

 _"_ _And we will set boundaries_ _–_ _you will not step foot on our land._ _"_

 _"_ _That_ _'_ _s sounds fair,_ _"_ _Carlisle agreed kindly._ _"_ _As I said, we_ _'_ _re based in Forks._ _"_

 _"_ _The reservation is our land as is the Makah and Ho lands,_ _"_ _Ephraim ordered._ _"_ _Forks and the surrounding cities are neutral zones. Agreed?_ _"_

 _"_ _Agreed_ _–_ _Esme, give me something to write that down on for Ephraim Black._ _"_

 _There was rummaging as Esme searched her bag for some writing utensils. She warily handed them to her husband who, using a nearby rock, speedily wrote it all down and handed to Ephraim to look over and sign. With the look over down, Carlisle signed it as well._

 _"_ _If this is broken,_ _"_ _Ephraim said,_ _"_ _we will not hesitate to attack._ _"_

 _"_ _Understood,_ _"_ _Carlisle replied in the same tight tone._

 _"_ _My pack,_ _"_ _Ephraim turned to the two wolves at his side,_ _"_ _Levi Uley and Quil Ateara II_ _–_ _we are the only wolves around here at the moment._ _"_

 _Carlisle nodded, looking over the two wolves in curiosity before taking the hit to make his only family known._

 _"_ _My wife, Esme,_ _"_ _Carlisle said as Esme came and took his hand,_ _"_ _and then we have Edward, Emmett and Rosalie. We had a daughter, Isabella,_ _"_ _–_ _his words turned tight_ _–_ _"_ _but she_ _'_ _s no longer with us though we hope she_ _'_ _ll return someday._ _"_

 _Ephraim nodded and turned away leaving Levi and Quil to walk backwards to protect his back._

 _"_ _Don_ _'_ _t hunt on our land_ _–_ _be on your way,_ _"_ _he called back before he transformed allowing his clothes to rip into shreds._

 _The Cullens stood there in silence for a little while, staring after the shape-shifters._

 _"_ _Clean this up,_ _"_ _Carlisle said,_ _"_ _let_ _'_ _s get off their land._ _"_

They hadn't had any altercations with the wolves since then – in fact they hadn't seen them and treaty was working just fine. The Cullens continued as they had before they knew the wolves existed.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Somehow or another Isabella had ended up in France, in Nice, all that had been on her mind (besides the main goal of America) was getting to the sea and out of Italy. The sea she figured would cover her scent. She had just swam until she saw land, land that turned out to be France. Her clothes were destroyed now, soaking wet, she had dumped the cloak somewhere in the sea – trying to swim with it had been impossible. The money was wet too – Isabella wasn't sure how that would work now, could money (mainly the paper money) be used once it had been completely soaked? To be fair, she hadn't actually looked if it was still in one piece. She could imagine picking it up and it just turning to flakes in her fingers from the weight of the water. The sea, she decided, was probably a bad idea. At least she still had the coins though.

Eventually, once she had dried off in the French south sun, she began walking. She walked up to Paris, hidden in trees and other objects so she was out of view from other travels and could use her speed. She more ran than walked. It took about 8 hours but she didn't stop. She would need food soon – she knew, her body was already screaming at her but she couldn't stop. Paris was pretty she decided and she couldn't resist sneaking up the closed Eiffel Tower and looking out at it all – with lights all a lit. It took her a while to leave – to clamber back down and to continue walking.

She planned to go to England – sneak on a ship across the sea, she'd heard they went over their regularly, rest a bit before she walked across America. She hated her family a bit unreasonably she knew for living so far away but she was going to make it to them. It may have been quicker to swim, she wasn't sure but on board the ship there would be food that she could nick.

The Volturi didn't seem to be looking for her and she knew they must be aware by now – Alec had said he'd be in her room in an hour. He had to be in his room in an hour or Aro would see in his thoughts that he'd let her go. She had an hour head start. Not that much really. Maybe they weren't looking for her, her brain wishfully conjured up but she knew that wouldn't it. She just hadn't seen any vampires, Volturi or not. Aro would not be outwitted by a child. Maybe he had already gone after her family…the thought made her walk faster. She wanted nothing more than her dad's hug at least before she got dragged back to Volturi.

Isabella managed to swim across the channel to England because she collapsed. She often forgot she wasn't a normal vampire, that she couldn't exert herself like they did and not feel the effects. She had limits – higher than a humans but millions of times lower than a normal vampires.

When she did eventually show up at her family's home, perhaps a week after she left Volterra, it was no surprise that she looked a bit of a mess and really just wanted to curl up and sleep and never wake up again. She managed though to bang weakly on the door – thanking the heavens above for their vampire hearing – as her vision darkened at the edges from exhaustion.

A tall, imposing, muscle-man opened the door and Isabella cringed back on herself suddenly feeling more like her 10 year old physical age than her 20 year old mental one. The boy however didn't see her looking for someone of around his height. It took a little for him to look down at her and she gave him an awkward smile – assuming this was the male that had joined the family while she had been gone. The man frowned in concerned manor down at her as though he could tell she was about to collapse any moment.

"Emmett," a familiar voice called and Isabella knew her eyes had lit up in recognition, "let the girl in! She's going to black out anymore if she doesn't sit down and drink something soon!"

Emmett stared at her for a little while and she swayed again as her vision blurred. He reached forward and grabbed her. Actually picking her up like she was rag doll. She didn't mind though, it was nice to have her own weight off her feet. Emmett was walking and she shut her eyes burying them in his shoulder.

There was a gasp as he stop walking and Isabella turned to see who was now walking towards them. Edward was half vision from the sofa, his mouth agape and a blonde was looking at her coldly from the window. Neither of them was moving and Isabella turned towards the noise. She relaxed instantly.

"Mummy," she whispered and Esme flew down the stairs from where she had been hovering half way up.

She was pulled out of Emmetts arms and into the familiar ones of her mother to be hugged and smothered with kisses. It was nice and renewed Isabella's energy a tiny little bit as she giggled.

"Rosalie," her voice sounded and Isabella snuggled closer, "call Carlisle home."

There were footsteps as Isabella assumed was the blonde going to do just that.

"Mum, she's not well," Edwards voice sounded and part of Isabella was glad but she didn't want to let go of Esme.

Esme pulled back and looked down at her daughter, at her dull eyes and exhausted expression, at her limp hair and dirty face.

"Emmett, get her some _human_ food," Esme started ordering the family about in a worried tone. "Ed-"

"Human, Esme?" Emmett questioned and Isabella could picture her mothers glare even if she couldn't see it with her eyes closed once again.

"Yes, Emmett, human," she replied walking somewhere. "Edward, would you go run a bath, please? Rosalie," – the blonde must have returned.

"Is she okay?" the tone was softer, softer than she had expected the blonde to sound when speaking

"Rosalie," Esme sighed sounding exhausted yet loving, "go and get a pillow and a blanket."

There was footsteps and Esme dropped a kiss on her head but Isabella didn't bother opening her eyes to see the scene.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It probably wasn't long before the sound of a car came up the drive but by that point Isabella had washed and eaten. She was fighting sleep as Esme brushed her hair and explained everything to Rosalie and Emmett. They were on the sofa opposite looking at her with concern and Edward had plopped himself down in front of where she was sitting wrapped in a blanket allowing her to play with his funny colour hair.

The sound of the car caused everyone to stop moving though and Isabella forced her lulling eyelids open again.

"What did you tell him?" Esme voice came and Rosalie turned to look at her.

"Just that you wanted him home, now," the girl replied, her voice still soft and her gaze kept flicking back to Isabella. It was strange for Isabella to have someone beside Edward, her parents and Alec actually care about her wellbeing

Edward moved out from underneath her as the front door opened and her father's voice echoed through the house.

"Esme? What's going on?"

"In here," Esme called back while she placed the brush down and Isabella eyes opened further, more awake without the lulling, rhythmic motions of the hair brush.

Her eyes latched onto her father before his did hers. He looked at Esme first who gave him a tearful, beaming smile before directing his gaze to Isabella by looking at her. He put his bag down with a bang when he noticed her. It was only her lack of energy that stopped her from sprinting across the room yelling 'daddy'.

"Bella," he breathed and she smiled at him.

It seemed that was enough to set him into motion as he crossed the room quickly to drop to his knees where Edward had previously been sitting and pull her into a tight hug, She relished in the hug, squeezing him as tightly as was possible for her right now and sobbing on his shoulder. He hushed her, stroking her and rocking her from side to side. Esme's hand drew circles on her back.

Isabella heard Edward stand up and he seemed to be bustling the other two out so when Isabella finally pulled back to wipe her eyes the room was empty but her and her parents.

"Shh," Carlisle whispered, brushing a tear away and picking her up so he could sit down on the sofa and hug her to him. Esme shuffled closer too, taking one of her hands a kissing it.

"See Daddy's home now," she said quietly, "you can sleep. It's okay" – she said when Isabella looked wary – "we're not going anywhere, you can sleep. You're safe."

Isabella smiled and Carlisle pulled a blanket over her, still keeping her cuddled in his arms. She laid her head against him but as she shut her eyes she whispered a disagreement, "never safe from the Volturi."

She was asleep before she could feel her father tense.

Esme pulled back and looked at her husband, meeting his eyes with a horror filled look before he closed his eyes in dismay. Aro.

There was knock on the door and footsteps went to get it.

"Rosalie, do not open that door," Carlisle wanted to yell it but with his sleeping daughter against him he managed retain himself. Gently he managed to shift himself out from under her and rest her head on the cushion. "Come here and stay in this room please."

When Rosalie appeared Carlisle and Esme went to get the door leaving Rosalie with Isabella. She sat on the floor besides her head protectively causing the two adults to share a smile. Carlisle knew the scent that was behind the door – hence the inability to move to it very quickly or to open it without apprehension.

"Alec," he greeted cordially and he received an actually smile from the boy.

"Aro sent me to relay a message," Alec spoke in a monotone as he often did and Carlisle nodded to urge him on. "He said 'thank you for allowing him to use your daughter as research and he sends his wishes for your health and happiness'."

It took everything in Esme not to gape in anger at the message 'allowing him', 'reasearch' and did he really expect friendship at the end of this?. She turned and left Carlisle to deal with it returning to her sleeping child.

 **Too quick, these last two chapters? Do they need to be slowed down?**

 **So good?! x**


End file.
